College men's basketball: Rice guard transfers to FGCU

Owls' 2nd-leading scorer to join Eagles after sitting 2013-14

Associated Press
Julian DeBose, right, puts up a shot during a game at Texas on Dec. 31, 2011.

AP2011

With most of this season's Sweet 16 team returning next year, new Florida Gulf Coast University men's basketball coach Joe Dooley continues to build toward the future.

On Monday, Dooley announced FGCU added its second transfer player since taking over the program April 22. Julian DeBose, a 6-foot-4 guard, has joined the Eagles after starting all 31 games at Rice, a Conference USA school, last season. DeBose was Rice's second-leading scorer (10.4 points per game) and rebounder (4.3) last season.

DeBose and Tulane transfer Marc-Eddy Norelia will sit out the 2013-14 season per NCAA rules. DeBose will have two years of eligibility left starting in 2014-15, while Norelia will have three.

"(DeBose is) the type of student-athlete that's a great fit here at FGCU," Dooley said in press release. "Julian will make great contributions on and off the court during his time here. He's a high character kid that comes from a great high school and AAU program. Julian gives us another backcourt weapon and he'll fit in well with our tempo and style of play."

FGCU returns four starters from last year's team than won the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament and became the first No. 15 seed to advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament. Three of them — forward Eric McKnight, guard Bernard Thompson and point guard Brett Comer — were sophomores and will be seniors when DeBose and Norelia become eligible.

With two other Division I transfers becoming eligible and two incoming freshmen, the Eagles' roster figures to be set for next season. Nate Hicks, a 6-10 transfer from Georgia Tech, and Jamail Jones, a 6-6 transfer from Marquette, can play next season. Logan Hovey, from Orlando-Hagery High School, and Jordan Neff, from Kennesaw, Ga., are the pair of 6-7 incoming freshmen.